Pulsator



EASSS@ F. S. FROST PULSATOR Filed Dc. 5, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 *,etented lli/lar. ll, 3824i.

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FROST, OF CHCAGO, ILLNGIS, A

SSI-.GHOR TQ SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO., F

EULQATOR.

Application filed December miam it may concern:

c it known that l, FRANK Fnos'r, a citizen et the United States, residing at 'Chicago, in the county ot Coole and State ot v lillois, have invented certain neiv and usel improvements in Pulsators, ot` which is a speciiieation.

*ention relates to the art ot milking and more specifi ly to improved apparatus roi practicing the same.

@ne object ot my invention is to hold the teat cups in place during the milking operation Without a belt or surcingle, at the same time relieving the vacuum below that necessary to draw milk from the teat so as to permit the teat to expand normally When the suction is relieved.

nother object of my invention is to proe durable and simple means capable ot ng mounted on a pail or other suitable @--tainer from which air is exhausted off power, for controlling the passages to the teat cups so as to perform the milking operation alcove outlined.

Another object is to so arrange the mechanism that the valve elements may be readily wiped oit and cleaned at the end of the milking operation Without disturbing the idjustment or" other mechanical parts.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

ln the accompanying drawings Figure l is side elevation ot that portion of a milking apparatus commonly referred to as a pulsator illustrating the application of my invention thereto. Fig 2 is an enlarged view of the pulsator and Fig. 3 a central section through the same. Fig. 4 is detail horizontal section on the line 4 4 of 2. Fig. 5 is a detail of a modified construction. Fig. 6 is an assembly View showing the pail with one cluster of teat cups and Fig. 7 is an enlarged'section of one of the teat cups.

ln the embodiment of my invention selected for illustration suitable cover 10 is equipped with a Washer 12 and may rest on pail 14 into Which the milk is to be delivered. The air is exhausted from the enire pail by any suitable means through a tube 16. a. bail 18 extending above the cover 10 is used for carrying the same from place to place and is equipped With hooks 20 3, 1920Y Serial No. 428,107.

upon which the clusters of teat cups 2l may he hung when not in use.

The cover l0 supports a central plug 22 having a centrally located bore 24 communicating With one or more laterally directed tubes 26 ot' which l have illustrated two, extending into suitable fittings, each fitting comprising a stop cock 28 and a terminal 8() to which the rubber tube leading from the teat cups may be connected. It will be apparent that as many clusters ot teat cups as there are sets of fittings may be simultaneously connected to the pail and operated by the single valve mechanism' shown, thus simultaneously milking as many cows as there are clusters.

The vertical plunger 32 reciprocates in the bore 24 and has enlargements 34 and 36 separated by a portion of smaller diameter. The enlargement 36 tits closely in the bore and operates as a valve element to control the flow ot' gas or liquid.

The means l have illustrated for reciproeatin?` the plunger comprises a piston carried by the upper end of the plunger, said piston preferably comprising a head 38 formed integral with or integrally assembled on the upper end ot the plunger and the usual flexible element 40 clamped on the face of the head 38 by a retaining plate 42 held in place by a suitable nut 44. Alined apertures in the head 38, element 40 and plate 42 denne a iole 45 extending downwardly to the upper surface of a sleeve 46 freely rotatable on the upper portion of the plunger. The sleeve 46 has a hole 48 Which will be carried into and out of register with the hole upon slight rotation of the sleeve.

..4 passageway 50 (see Fig. 2) extends from the pail through'the plug 22 and the metal shell 52 forming a cylinder for the piston, to the upper end of the cylinder Where its communication With the upper end of the cylinder may be controlled by a suitable needle valve 54. As the casing is open to the atmosphere in front at 56 and at the side at 57 it Will be apparent that with holes 45 and 48 in register, the pressure above the piston Will be atmospheric, the cross sectional area of holes 45 and 48 being much greater than that ot the passage controlled by the needle valve. The air being exhausted from the interior of the pail, the pressure on the lower end of the plunger will be much` less than atmospheric so that the plunger will move downward to the end of its stroke. Similarly7 it will be noted that with holes 45 and 48 moved out ot register, the pressure above the piston will immediately fall to approximately that in the pail and atmospheric pressure below the piston7 which has a much larger area than the area of the lower end of the plunger, will immediately raise the piston and plunger.

I have provided means for rotating the sleeve46 at each end of the stroke to move the holes 45 and 48 into and out oi' register. -rIhe means illustrated comprises a pin 58 radially projecting from the lower' end of the sleeve and carrying a small roller 60 at its outer end which projects through the slot 56 in the casing. A block 62 attached to the casing carries an inwardly projecting ledge or lip at G4 of such length that at .the end of the stroke in either direction roller 60 will just pass beyond the end of the ledge` Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that a spring` coiled around the pin 68 has an arm 70 inclined upwardly and to the right on the left side of the ledge and a similar spring coiled around pin 7l has an arm 72 extending from the upward right hand corner of the slot 56 downward and to the left. As the roller moves down from the position shown in Fig. 2 it will strike the beveled upward end of the ledge and pass downward on the right of it until it passes the end of the ledge when spring 72 will throw it over to the left. rlhis will move holes 45 and 48 out of register so that the plunger will be raised again and on the up stroke the roller will pass to the lett of the ledge pushing spring 70 to one rside until it rises above the ledge when it will be thrown back into the position shown bringing holes 45 and 48 into register again for the neXt down stroke.

To secure proper registry ot holes 45 and 48 it will be seen that the piston must not rotate. The means I have provided for preventing accidental rotation oit the piston comprises a pin 74threaded into a hole in the plunger and reciprocating' in a slot 57 in the side of the casing 52. The stationary arm of the spring v72 is held in place by a small stop screw and the stationary arm of spring 70 may be conveniently slipped into a rabbet or groove in the face of the block 62 before the block is vfastened in place by means of screw 7 8. A suitable cover 8O may be `placed overthe casing 52 and associated parts, and held in place either by means of fastening screws or by resilient engagement of its side'ilanges 82 with the sides of the easing.

In the position shown in Fig. 3, tubes 26 are connected to the pail and the suction will therefore be deliveredy through such cleaned, sterilized and dried.

resales stop cocks 28 as are open to Vthe clusters of teat cups, contracting them and extracting milk 'from theJ teats ot the cows. As the plunger moves down, the lower enlargement 36 will cover the openings cutting them ol' trom the pail and passing beyond them so as to uncover a small segment at the upper edge oi each opening. llVhen the lower enlargement is in this position, the upper enlargement has not quite entered the bore, leaving a small annular passageway through which atmospheric air may enter the Abore and tiow through the small segmental openings to relieve the suction on the teat cups. It will be obvious that the extent to which the suction is thus relieved may be varied to suit the requirements by properly proportioning the parts of the machine. I prefer to relieve the suction to a point considerably below that necessary to extract milk from the teat which can be done without releasing the cup so completely that it will fall oil the teat. It is thereforeJ possible to operate the nachin@ without using a surcingle to hold the clusters in place and at the same time the teats of the cow are not continuously subjected to heavy suction throughout the milking process which injures the teats and impairs the health of thecow.

When the machine has been used it may readily be cleaned by litt-ing the entire casing 52 bodily oilq the plug 22. This leaves j'ilug 227 bore 24, and tubes 26 exposed so that they can conveniently ybe rinsed out and plunger 32 may be drawn into its lowermost position and the end of it readily rIhe engagement ot pin 74 with the bottom of slot 57 limits the movement ot the plunger out of the casing and insures the removal of the plunger Vand casing together asa unit when the casing is Vlifted off the plug. To insure correct alinement of the casing 52 when it is replaced7 I may provide a nipple 84 pro-V jecting slightly above the surface of the plug 22 and defining part of the passageway 50. It is thus necessary to rotate the casing into correct alinement with the plug before it can be shoved home. A flange 86 may also be made part of casing 52 and operates to insure correct alinement of the parts and provide ample bearing surface against plug 22.

In Fig. 5 holes 48 and 45 are shown eX- tending radially into a central pocket 49, threaded to receive the locking element 5l7 which element is centrally apertured at 53 to establish communication with the end of the cylinder. Among other advantages this eliminates the hole in the flexible element 40 and the necessity ot assembling parts 40 and 42 so as to aline the apertures in them with hole 45. V

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated one form of teat cup which may b e used to practice stroke to hold the sleeve in a predetermined position, and resilient means exerting a tendency toward the end of the stroke to press the roller against the guide whereby as the roller passes the end of the guide it will be thrown over to the other side thereof.

10. In a device ot the class described, a piston, a cylinder guiding said piston, means exerting a constant tendency to move said piston in one direction, and means rendered operable by the movement et said piston in that direction to automatically vary the pressure in said cylinder to intermittently overcome said first mentioned means` 11. ln a device of the class described, a plug having a bore, lateral passageways opening into the bore, a plunger having a head sliding in the bore, a piston carried by the plunger, and a cylindrical casing mounted on the nlug and operatively associated with the piston, said casing and piston being removable together as a unit 'from said plug.

l2. In a device et the class described, a plug having` a bore, and lateral passageways opening into said bore, means for maintaining a vacuum at one end of the bore, and means removably mounted on top of the plug for intermittently connecting and disconnecting the passageways in the bore, said means being` operated by means of the vacuum existing at oneend of the bore.

13. Ina device of `the class described, a reciprocatory plunger having a large end and a small end, means connecting the small end permanently to a predetermined vacuum, a cylinder casing guiding the large end, a constricted passageway for exhausting air from above the large end, and means for intermittently connecting the space above the large end to atmosphere through an aperture larger than the constricted passageway, to intermittently overcome the suction on the small end and reciprocate the plunger.

111-. 1n a device of the class described, a reciprocatory plunger having a large end and a small end, means connecting the small end permanently to a predetermined vacuum, a cylinder casing guiding` the large end, a constricted passageway for exhausting air 'trom above the large end, means for intermittently connecting the space above the large end to atmosphere through an aperture larger than the constricted passageway to intermittentlyT overcome the suction on the small end and reciprocate the plunger, and adjustable means for varying the effective area of: said constricted passageway.

in a device ot the class described, a guide member, an element capable of reciprocatory movement past both ends of said guide member and also mounted for lateral movement to posit-ion it on either side of said guide member, and resilient means on either side of said guide member adjacent opposite ends thereof tending to press said'element against said guide member. i

16. in a device of the class described, a

guide member, an element mounted for,

movement along said guide member, and a spring n erm ally lying against one end of said guide member and diverging therefrom at an angle to define a `\!shaped space for receiving said element whereby said element will press said spring away from the guide and upon passing the end of the guide be thrown by the spring to the other side ot the guide.

ln testimony whereof, l' have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK S. FROST. 

